Flare



R. F. HUTT July 22, 1941.

FLARE `origmalFiled May 1s, 1935 Patented July 22, 1941 FLARE Raymond F.Hutt, Fort Madison, Iowa Original application May 13, 1935, Serial No.21,149. Divided and this application May 13, 1940, Serial No. 334,716

Claims.

This invention relates to portable iiares or .torches of the type whichare employedv as warning signals on the highways by automobile or truckdrivers, or as warning signals in construction work, although various ofits features are applicable generally to lamps using a wick irnmersed infuel oil or other inflammable substance, as will hereafter be morespecifically pointed out.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 21,149 filedMay 13, 1935 for Flare The use of outdoor ilares or torches presents theproblem of shielding .the llame against gusts of wind, and the action ofrain and snow, which has been accomplished in the prior art by providinga shield or wind break formed to fit over the wick. It is customary toposition the wick in a tubular member which protrudes to a degree fromthe body of the fuel container. In my invention both the shield and thewick may be collapsed into the container, in a manner which accomplishesnot only greater compactness when the torch or flare is not in use, butalso permits greater simplicity in construction and design.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for increasing .theefficiency of the wick by controlling the draft of air directed towardthe flame, all of which will be hereinafter more specifically set forth.

Other and further objects of my invention will be more specifically setforth in the specification and annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of one type of my flare in operativeposition;

Fig. 2 is a top View of Fig. 1 partially broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the preferred type of burner shown in Fig.1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing an optional type of collapsibleburner.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1 comprises asheet metal flare or fuel reservoir substantially cylindrical in shapehaving a threaded cupola 2 at its top providing a round burner opening.The burner consists of a combustion chamber 4 having flame openings 5either at the top, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or at the sides, as in Fig. 4,and air vents 6, either at the sides of the combustion chamber, as inFig. 1, or at the bottom, as in Fig. 4. The combustion chamber isprovided with a dome 1, Figs. 1 and 4.

A simple construction, using the preferred type of burner, is shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3. The combustion chamber Il has an annular ange 2'! atits bottom which is pressed against a stop IS of the cupola 2 when inoperative position. A wick collar I0 is provided with two annularflanges 22 and 23, ange 23 being so spaced that it lits snugly Withinthe combustion chamber 4, contacting the same at all points; flange 22serves as a reinforcement for flange 23, and both are suitably attachedto the Wick collar, as by welding.

The 'combustion chamber 4 is provided with a series of lateral air vents6 having inwardly projecting vanes or ns 24 which serve as stops for theannular flange 23. A coil spring l1 holds the burner in operativeposition through annular flange 23 and the stops 24 and i6.

In addition to performing the function of stops, the vanes 24 inconnection with the ared end of the wick collar Il serve as a means forconducting a controlled draft of air to the wick resulting in a brighterflame in operation. These air vanes may be either rounded or pointed,but they should be so adjusted as to direct the draft toward the flaredend of the wick collar, as shown in the drawing. I have found that theuse of the flared wick collar and the air vanes separately produces amore eflicient flame, but when used in conjunction, as shown, thel mostsatisfactory results are produced. In the preferred type of burner,shown in Figs. 1b 2 and 3, the flame ports 5 are placed at the top ofthe combustion chamber next the dome l, which is above the ilame ports,as I have found that the maintenance of the relation between the vanes,relatively small series of lateral air ports 6, the flared wick collarIl and the juxtaposition of the domed cap 'l above the relatively largehorizontal flame ports 5, as shown in the drawing, produces the bestresults in combustion, with a consequently brighter flame, with lesspossibility of its being snuifed by wind or rain.

To service the wick shown in the drawing I have provided a bayonet lock,25 in Fig. 3 and 28 in Fig. 2, which permits the removal of thecombustion 'chamber from its seat in the cupola. The use of the vanes 24as stops on the combustion chamber, permits the complete disengagementof the wick collar and the annular flange from the combustion cham-ber,and a simple disassembly of the entire device for servicing the wick.

In Fig. 4 an alternative type of burner is shown. The burner isgenerally similarv to that already shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, inthis form of burner the air vents 6 are provided in the bottom of thecombustion chamber. The flame ports are in the ides of the combustionchamber. The combustion chamber has its base provided with a flange 8 inwhich the lower end 9 of the shell of the combustion chamber is held. Apiston 36 is welded or otherwise suitably attached to the wick collarl0. The piston has an annular head, as at 39, adjusted to ft snugly intoa cylinder 31 which is crimped around the mouth of the cupola 2 at I6.The cylinder is belled inwardly at 38 to stop the piston at the bottom,acting as a seat therefor when the burner is not in use. The piston 36is in sufliciently tight contact with the cylinder so that the burnerwill remain in whatever position, with reference to the reservoir, thatit may be left. To service the wick the combustion chamber may beremoved.

The cupola 2 is threaded to receive a threaded cap (not shown) of anysuitable construction. In both forms of the invention the burner isdepressed into the fuel chamber except when in use. The wick is thuskept clean of carbon and saturated with fuel.

While I have shown several types of construction of my burner, it is tobe understood that this showing is by way of illustration and not oflimitation. Numerous changes in the details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention,especially as dened in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, I claim the following:

1. A burner comprising a fuel reservoir having an aperture in the topthereof, a cup-shaped combustion chamber having its open end extendinginto said aperture and having an outwardly directed flange adapted tobear against the reservoir wall around said aperture and limit theoutward movement of the combustion chamber with respect to thereservoir, a wick core, a collar for said core, an annular flange onsaid collar adapted to fit in said combustion chamber and to be slidablykwithdrawn therefrom, stop means limiting the upward movement of theannular flange in said chamber, and a spring in said reservoir pressingthe collar and ange upwardly to hold them in position in said combustionchamber.

2. A burner comprising a fuel reservoir having an aperture in the topthereof, a cup-shaped combustion chamber having its open end extendinginto said aperture and having an outwardly directed flange adapted tobear agalnst the reservoir wall around said aperture and limit theoutward movement of the combustion chamber with respect to thereservoir, a wick core, a collar for said core, an annular ange on saidcollar adapted to t in said combustion chamber and to be slidablywithdrawn therefrom, stop means limiting the upward movement of theannular ange in said chamber, and a spring in said reservoir pressingthe collar and ange upwardly to hold them in position in said combustionchamber, said combustion chamber having air vents in the peripheral wallthereof just above said stop means and `said stop means comprisinginwardly projecting vanes at the lower edges of the air Vents.

3. A burner comprising a fuel reservoir having an aperture in the topthereof, a cup-shaped combustion chamber having its open end extendinginto said aperture and having an outwardly directed flange adapted tobear against the reservoir wall around said aperture and limit theoutward movement of the combustion chamber with respect to thereservoir, a wick core, a collar for said core, an annular flange onsaid collar adapted to fit in said combustion chamber and to be slidablywithdrawn therefrom, stop means limiting the upward movement of theannular flange in said chamber, and a spring in said reservoir pressingthe collar and flange upwardly to hold them in position in saidcombustion chamber, said combustion chamber having portions of itsperipheral wall struck inwardly to provide air vents, said portionscomprising the aforesaid stop means.

4. A burner comprising a fuel reservoir having an aperture in the topthereof, a cup-shaped combustion chamber having its open end extendinginto said aperture and having an outwardly directed flange adapted tobear against the reservoir wall around said aperture and limit theoutward movement of the combustion chamber with respect to thereservoir, a wick core, a collar for said core, an annular flange onsaid collar adapted to t in said combustion chamber and to be slidablywithdrawn therefrom, stop means limiting the upward movement of theannular flange in said chamber, and a spring in said reservoir pressingthe collar and vflange upwardly to hold them in position in saidcombustion chamber, said combustion chamber having portions of itsperipheral wall struck inwardly to provide air vents, said portionscomprising the aforesaid stop means, said collar having a flared top andsaid portions of the chamber wall being extended diagonally upward fromthe lower from the lower edges of the air vents toward the rim of saidflared top.

5. A burner comprising a fuel reservoir having an aperture in the topthereof, a cup-shaped combustion chamber having its open end extendinginto said aperture and having an outwardly directed flange adapted tobear against the reservoir wall around said aperture and limit theoutward movement of the combustion chamber with respect to thereservoir, a wick core, a collar for said core, an annular flange onsaid collar adapted to fit in said combustion chamber and to be slidablywithdrawn therefrom, stop lugs struck inwardly from the peripheral wallof said combustion chamber to limit the movement of the annular flangeinto the chamber, and means in the reservoir pressing the flange and thecornbustion chamber upward.

RAYMOND F. HUTT.

